Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly
RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH IN CHRIST
General Introduction
God has entrusted to the Seventh-day
Adventist Church the responsibility and
privilege of giving the last gospel message
to the world. This solemn work can be car-
ried out successfully only by consecrated in-
struments. That they might be spiritually
prepared to meet their Lord and to finish
His work, the message of righteousness by
faith in Christ has been entrusted to them.
This is not a new message, for it is a part of
the plan of salvation as revealed in the word
of God and has always been a fundamental
belief and teaching of the remnant church,
though at times it may have been obscured
beneath the doctrinal emphasis on the law.
During the General Conference session of
1888, held in Minneapolis, this vital teach-
ing was re-emphasized and clarified. Wrote
Ellen G. White:
"This message was to bring more promi-
nently before the world the uplifted Saviour,
the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.
It presented justification through faith in
the Surety; it invited the people to receive
the righteousness of Christ, which is made
manifest in obedience to all the command-
ments of God. Many had lost sight of Je-
sus. They needed to have their eyes di-
rected to His divine person, His merits, and
His changeless love for the human family.
All power is given into His hands, that He
may dispense rich gifts unto men, impart-
ing the priceless gift of His own righteous-
ness to the helpless human agent. This is
the message that God commanded to be
given to the world. It is the third angel's
message, which is to be proclaimed with a
loud voice, and attended with the outpour-
ing of His Spirit in a large measure."—Testi-
monies to Ministers,
pages 91, 92.
Ellen White wholeheartedly sustained this
righteousness-by-faith emphasis. There were
those, however, who were fearful that the
distinctive doctrinal truths "entrusted to us"
might be neglected, because of this renewal
of emphasis on Christ and Him crucified.
But the exaltation of Christ as the "center
of the message," did not weaken and does
not now weaken any "line of truth that has
made the Seventh-day Adventist people
what they
are."—Testimonies,
vol. 6, p. 17.
This is as true today as it was over seventy
years ago.
"The third angel's message calls for the
preservation of the Sabbath of the fourth
commandment, and this truth must be
brought before the world; but
the great cen-
ter
of attraction, Jesus Christ, must not be
left out of the third angel's message. By
many who have been engaged in the work
for this time, Christ has been made second-
ary, and theories and arguments have had
first place. . . .
"Laborers in the cause of truth should
present the righteousness of Christ, not as
new light, but as precious light that has for
a time been lost sight of by the people. . . .
"What a loss it is to the soul who under-
stands the strong claims of the law, and who
yet fails to understand the grace of Christ
which doth much more abound ! It is true
that the law of God reveals the love of God
when it is preached as the truth in Jesus;
for the gift of Christ to this guilty world
must be largely dwelt upon in every
dis-
course."—Selected Messages,
b. 1, pp. 383,
384. (Italics supplied.)
Since 1888 much has been published and
preached on the subject of righteousness by
faith. The following books from the pen
of Ellen G. White emphasize this great truth:
Gospel Workers
(1892) ;
Steps to Christ
(1892) ;
Christ Our Saviour
(1896) ;
The De-
sire of Ages
(1898) ;
Christ's Object Lessons
(1900) ;
Thoughts From the Mount of Bless-
ing
(1900). Many other books, articles, and
sermons by leaders and ministers have con-
tinued to bring this great truth to the church
and the world.
It is the earnest longing and prayer of the
leaders of the church and the Sabbath School
Department that our believers around the
world, as they study these lessons, will come
to know Christ better, for in Him the right-
eousness of God is embodied, and in Him is
the righteousness of God revealed.
[
3
]